DAILY REMINDER – Today, October 9’s Bible reading is Matthew 18-19.
NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, October 10’s Bible reading is Matthew 20-21.
May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.
MATTHEW MOMENT – (09OCT19)
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who
believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone
hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew
18:6). The disciples posed the question to Jesus as to who would be the
greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus replied by saying that the one who
became like a little child would be the greatest in the kingdom. Jesus went on
to let them know that anyone who would hurt an innocent child would be better
off having drowned with a milestone around his neck. This was not an endorsement
for suicide, but Jesus was letting us know that He does not wish for anyone to take
away the innocence of children nor do any harm to them.
Most children have
an innocence about them until they are corrupted by adults. For example, you
can take babies of various races, put them in a room together, and all they
will see is someone they can play with. But when racism is taught to them, that
is when they learn its ugliness and oftentimes, continue the cycle into
adulthood. Then, there are children who were innocent until an adult began to
abuse them. Rather this was physically, verbally, sexually, or some other type
of abuse, the effects of this on a child has lasting consequences often leading
the child to have a troubled adulthood. Most psychologists, when doing a
counseling session with a client, will begin by inquiring about the person’s
childhood. Why is this? It is because a person’s upbringing plays a major role
in developing who they become as an adult – rather good or bad. The Bible says:
“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not
depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). The Word of God lets us know that it
is important to begin teaching children while they are young, so the things
that take place in a person’s childhood is very influential with the rest of
their lives. Therefore, those who are in authority around children should
safeguard them from the evils of the world as much as possible. How do you do
this? Do not allow your children to attend transgender story-time at libraries.
Watch what your children entertain themselves with on t.v., internet, games, etc.
Be careful who your children spend time around including at church because
everyone who attends is not saved. Pray with and for your children as well as
teach them the Word of God so they will have a good start in life with God and
others. Ensure that your children have good communication with you and know
that they are loved. These are just a few tips, but in your personal time with
God, ask His guidance concerning your family, and He will direct your path. Something
to ponder….
QUESTION OF THE DAY
- (09OCT19) “If your brother or sister
sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they
listen to you, you have won them over. But
if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may
be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If they still refuse
to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the
church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-17). Jesus gave the disciples instructions as to how the church was to
operate when a fellow brother or sister was found guilty of sin. Jesus wanted
them to know that it was important for them to do what they could to restore
the person back to right standing. Nevertheless, if all attempts were unsuccessful,
then they would have no choice but to treat the person as a pagan. That
individual would not only be looked upon as a heathen on earth, but in Heaven,
it would be recorded as such. Jesus said that were two or three come into agreement
on earth in His name, so is He in their midst (Matthew 18:19-20).
Many
Christians love to quote the verse of “judge not” but they fail to look at the countless
teachings on holding each other accountable as fellow believers. Of course, one
is not to judge in hypocrisy, but we are to hold one another up to a Godly
standard in keeping with the Lord’s ordinances for our lives. The Apostle Paul
wrote: “…Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from
wickedness” (2 Timothy 19b). Just because we have freedom in Christ does
not mean that we can live any way that we so choose. Did Jesus die so that we
can still live in sin? Of course not! Therefore, if we truly call ourselves
believers in Christ, then as a believer, we are to model after the One whom we
profess to believe in. The Bible says: “Do not merely just listen to the
word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). We are
to be imitators of Christ. Pride keeps us from admitting when we’re wrong and
embracing righteous rebuke. So, let us be mindful to have humility before the
Lord and then we will receive His favor. Something to ponder….
MATTHEW MOMENT – (09OCT19) “Jesus replied, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts
were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife,
except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery’”
(Matthew 19:8-9). Some of the religious leaders
thought that they could entrap Jesus by posing a question regarding marriage
and divorce to Him. They asked if a man was allowed to divorce his wife for any
reason. Jesus told them that God created male and female in the beginning. Man
was to leave his father and mother to unite with his wife and they would become
one flesh. Although God allowed for Moses to give the men permission to have a
certificate of divorce, it was not God’s original design for marriage. Jesus
stated that divorce was allowed in the case of adultery. If that person
divorced and married another person, they would be guilty of not only adultery
themselves, but causing the other person to do the same.
Statistics
show that 50% of all marriages end in divorce and 67% of remarriages end in
divorce as well. God intended that we marry and be faithful to one spouse.
Unfortunately, we live in a society that swap spouses like they swap clothes
which causes a damaged society. Even in the church, the divorce rate amongst
couples are the same as those in the world. The Bible says: “’For I hate divorce!’ says
the LORD, the God of Israel. ‘To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with
cruelty,’ says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. ‘So guard your heart; do not be
unfaithful to your wife’” (Malachi 2:16). The Lord gave an extensive
rebuke towards Judah who was being unfaithful to their wives and divorcing
them. They wondered why their prayers were not being answered and it was due to
their behavior towards their wives. In Biblical times, women were normally not
independent of a male taking care of them. Therefore, when a man divorced his wife,
she would have to go back to her father’s home in disgrace. The chances of her
being able to remarry were slim, and this is what the Lord meant by charging
the men with “overwhelming their wives with cruelty.” People should pray and
consult the Lord before they say I do to ensure that the person they are
planning to marry is the one ordained by God. Marriage between a man and woman
is ordained by God, but we should never choose someone without allowing God to
order our steps first. Something to ponder….
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